Our thoughts go out to Gordon’s family and friends and to our members both past and present who knew and respected him. He was instrumental in shaping our club through its early years and is a huge loss to swimming in WA. Farewell Gordon.
Fond memories of Coach Gordon Shaw who coached and managed the Southlake Dolphins Swim Team for 15 years. To all who knew Gordon, he was a very honest and humble man.
Swimming was Gordon’s life and he was highly regarded for his swimming expertise, his caring nature and his dedication to the swimmers and members of SLD. He believed that for a club to be successful you must look after your ‘grass roots’ and with this philosophy he enabled our club to continually grow successful new talent for WA Swimming.
Gordon had success growing swimmers from juniors up through the ranks and with many achievements. In particular with breaststroke he will not be forgotten with one of his previous swimmers still competing and achieving, now at national level and international level. He maintained contact with many of the senior swimmers and encouraged some of them to become assistant coaches.
In July 2002 at an early morning training session Gordon suffered a heart attack on pool deck, and determined not to upset the swimmers, he calmly walked off pool deck to request the leisure centre staff to call an ambulance to take him to hospital. Gordon’s action at this critical time reflected the type of person he was, always considering others before himself.
Fortunately Gordon’s health did recover and he returned once again to the job he dearly loved.
The Southlake Dolphin’s Swim Club were saddened some 6 years later, in October 2008, when Gordon decided it was time to make a change in his life and move on.
It has been even more of a shock to all past, and present SLD members and families to hear of Gordon’s passing. He will surely be missed, not just as a coach but as a friend, and as mentor who taught our children the skills and discipline to enable them to achieve their goals in life.
Our condolences to Steven, Nicholas, and Kevin, and the Mandurah Swimming Club who have lost their wonderful coach.
